The Way of Your Heart A Christmas Carol
by JoolsFan
Summary: On Christmas Eve, Georg received some unexpected help with making a major decision.
1. Author's Notes

Author's notes:

Many thanks to my betas Amy and Elizabeth. You've truly helped me make this story better. 

This was my entry for Vanessa's SOM Christmas Challenge 2003. Thank you to all voters and all writers – I loved reading all the Christmas stories!

To pull this idea off, I had to severely fool around with the timeline of the movie. Remember, events have not _essentially_ changed, though. 

Disclaimer: 

The Sound of Music belongs to 20th Century Fox. I've used lines from the original screenplay by Ernest Lehman because he wrote them better than I could ever imagine them. 

A Christmas Carol belongs to Charles Dickens.

No infringement intended with either source– I'm just having fun.

The Way of Your Heart – _A Christmas Carol_

Rating: PG


	2. Prologue

_~ Prologue ~_

It was the night before Christmas.

The large Von Trapp villa was dark. The children had gone to bed early, under the impression of all children that going to bed early would make Christmas morning come faster.

Baroness Schraeder had retired around eight, claiming a slight headache, and, upon finding he lacked pleasant company, Max had followed her example soon afterwards.

Not every room in the house was dark, though.

In the study, a small fire illuminated the handsome, but worried features of Captain von Trapp. He sat on the sofa across from the fire, staring into the flickering flames. He was bent forward deep in thought; elbows on his knees, one hand supporting his head and the other holding an empty cognac glass. He had been sitting in this position, barely moving at all, for hours.

It seemed his life was coming together again.

Two days ago, he had asked Elsa to marry him, and she had accepted his proposal. 

He had rekindled his relationship with his children and they were happier than he had seen them in years. The sudden departure of their governess had influenced and saddened them more than the Captain thought normal, but still, they would get over her – wouldn't they? 

The image of their Fraulein appeared in his head, laughing, singing, her blue eyes sparkling.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the children again.

Yes, they would get over her.

And they would be happy – his children would have a new mother and they would form a real family again.

Then why did something not feel… right?

The Captain stood up and walked toward his desk. He picked up a picture of Agathe in a delicate silver frame. 

He noted how her smile was just like Liesl's, something he had never really seen until a few months ago. He realized he had not seen Liesl smile in years. It was not until a certain postulant from Nonnberg Abbey had come to be governess to his children and had brought laughter back into the house, that he had noticed how much his oldest daughter resembled her mother.

He put the silver frame down and touched the glass with his fingers.

"What am I doing wrong?" he mumbled as he stared at the photograph.

Just as he was about to look away, the smile of the woman in the photograph seemed to broaden, while a twinkle shot from one of her eyes.

Georg's head snapped back to look at Agathe's picture again. Of course, it was exactly as it had always been.

_The fire must have reflected in the glass_, he thought as he shook his head.

It was late. He was tired, and his fatigue must be playing tricks with his mind.

It was time to go to bed.

Putting his glass down on the desk, he shot one last look at the photograph, before leaving his study to retire for the night.

***

The Captain's sleep was restless. He lay tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable, only occasionally dozing off for a few minutes.

As he lay on his back staring at the ceiling, he felt a breath of wind over his face.

Thinking that the wind must have blown a window open, he sat up, beginning to slide his legs out of bed.

"Georg…" 

His name came like a whisper through the darkened room. He recognized the voice immediately and as he turned his head sharply in the direction of the sound, he gasped for breath at what he saw.

Near the window stood an apparition, like an angel. Her hair spread around her head as if it was floating in water, and the drapes from the window and her white garment billowed around her. A golden glow illuminated her countenance.

"Agathe…" Georg whispered, almost silently. 

As she began to speak, a shiver ran down the Captain's spine as he heard the sweet voice he thought he'd never hear again.

"My darling, your path in life has not been an easy one since I had to leave you and the children. As I watched you from Above, I was glad to see happiness returning to you again."

Georg opened his mouth, but the spirit of Agathe brought a finger to her lips to silence him. She continued:

"But now, you are confused, and I was granted permission to help you. Tonight, three spirits will visit you to guide you in your decisions. Listen to them well – and follow the way of your heart. Remember, love is the most important thing in life." 

She smiled, spread her arms in a grand gesture, and the golden glow became stronger. Georg blinked his eyes against the light and another, fiercer blow of wind. 

When he opened his eyes again, Agathe was gone. The window was indeed open, and the drapes moving in the wind revealed a large, golden moon, which let its light shine into the room.

Georg stared at the moon.

This must have been a dream. He was sure of it. He got up, closed the window, and quickly slid back into bed. His hands were shaking, but he told himself that must be from the cold. But just before sleep finally came over him, he heard the faintest sound, which might just have been the wind through the trees outside:

_"Follow the way of your heart….." _


	3. Chapter 1

_~ Chapter 1 ~_

The Captain felt he had only been sleeping for a few minutes, when a faint sound woke him up. He opened his eyes and stared at the darkness of his bedroom.

The memory of Agathe's spirit came to him and he closed his eyes again. 

_It was a dream,_ he tried to convince himself.

Again, he heard the faint noise that had woken him up. It sounded like the distant chiming of church bells. Only, there was no church near enough the Von Trapp villa …

Opening his eyes again, the Captain expected to encounter darkness.

Instead, a dim glow filled the room.

It was coming from an image by the foot of his bed. It looked like an old man, with a long white beard, clad in a robe. He was wearing a wreath of holly.

Georg sat upright and stared at the old man. He closed his eyes and opened them again in the expectation that the man would have disappeared, but he was still there, looking at the Captain intently.

_I am still dreaming,_ Georg told himself. 

He had not slept well the last few nights; his thoughts were confused, and now his sleep was troubled by strange dreams. It was the only explanation he could think of. 

But the apparition spoke with a low, reverberating voice, sounding very real and reminding Georg of the Church bells he had heard before.

"You are not dreaming, Captain von Trapp. You have been forewarned of my appearance." 

_Agathe told me_, Georg thought. 

She had really been with him. Even though he was unsettled by the old man's presence, the knowledge that Agathe had sent him brought a strange sense of calm over Georg. Dream or not – he would listen.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am the ghost of Christmas Past. Come, and I will show you what you need to see." 

The Ghost beckoned to the Captain, who got out of bed again. Still a little doubtful, uncertain of whether or not this was real, Georg walked toward the man. Only now did he notice, that the spirit held a book in one of his hands. It looked like a photograph album, bound in black and red. As Georg approached, he could see that his name was written on the front in gold. He stepped into the circle of soft light, and the spirit took the book in two hands and let it fall open.

Curiosity overcame him, and Georg looked at the single picture that was on the page.

His breath caught in his throat as he saw the scene before him. And while he watched, the black and white picture gained colour, started to move… and suddenly, it enveloped him and he was standing in the scene of the photograph. He was downstairs in the salon, only, it couldn't be …

Georg drew a deep breath of air, realizing he had been holding his breath in shock at the sight before him, and as he looked closer, his jaw slightly dropped.

He saw himself, years younger, sitting on the floor in the salon. He was surrounded by six children who were also much younger than they should be. And of course, she was there – Agathe.

She stood next to the Christmas tree, bending over to pick up a gift from the pile of beautifully wrapped packages, which were assembled at the foot of the tree. As she straightened up and turned around, Georg noticed how radiant she looked with her soft smile, shining eyes, and rounded stomach. 

It was the last Christmas before Gretl was born. And also, Georg remembered with a pang, their last Christmas as a complete family.

He looked on as Agathe handed the gift to Kurt. 

The five –year-old eagerly accepted it from his mother and started tugging at the ribbons. When he succeeded in getting the ribbons and papers off, he triumphantly held up a box containing a toy train. 

"A train! I have a train!" he cheered loudly, ecstatic about his gift. The other children drew nearer and joined him in his admiration for the train. Even Marta, who was held up by Liesl to look at her brother's present, made happy bubbling noises. Over the heads of the children, the young Captain and Agathe shared a happy glance.

The Captain looked at the blissful scene. Even though he was saddened, looking on and knowing the happiness of this group of people would soon come to a cruel ending, he was also overwhelmed with gratitude for what they had been allowed to have together. They had been so happy – but it had changed so quickly…

Georg pulled his eyes away from the scene by the Christmas tree as he felt a presence step up beside him. He realized he had all but forgotten about the Ghost of Christmas Past.

"Yes, Christmas used to be a happy time for you and your family, Captain," the Ghost stated. Georg nodded, letting his eyes drift back to the Christmas tree again, where Liesl was now opening a small gift.

"Unfortunately, things changed," the Ghost continued, and Georg saw that the photograph album was in the Ghost's hands again. 

"Look," the Ghost commanded, and the Captain's eyes drifted toward the next photograph. As he focused on the picture, again he noticed how it started to move – and so did the salon around him. Colours moved, twisted – and even though he was still standing in the same spot, suddenly the room had completely changed around him.

He looked around, and noticed that this time, there was no Christmas tree in the salon. They children were here again, though.

The Captain took a few steps forward to look at them. The children were sitting around in a glum silence. He looked at their faces and he noticed that they were still younger than their true ages, but only about four years younger now. Liesl looked around twelve. As he counted, again he only came to six – Gretl must still be a baby and was probably upstairs in the nursery.

The Captain noticed the tense atmosphere and the silence of the children, which was so different from how he'd seen them moments ago that he felt a shiver run down his spine. Breathing heavily, he took a step toward Friedrich, who was nearest to him. He knelt in front of the boy and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Friedrich," Georg whispered to his son, but there was no reaction at all.

"They cannot see you," chimed the voice of the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Georg spun around to see him standing in the corner of the salon. He was resting against the mantelpiece.

_Just like Maria had stood a few weeks ago._

The thought shot through the back of Georg's mind, but he pushed it away.

He glared at the Ghost, trying to hide his confusion.

"What is this?" he demanded.

"Just watch," was the only answer he received.

Georg's eyebrows knitted together in agitation. He turned around to look at the little scene again. Watching his children more intently, noting their ages and their outfits, he knew what he was seeing. Their first Christmas Day after Agathe had died. His stomach plummeted at the realisation.

The children started talking and Georg walked up behind the sofa where Liesl and Louisa sat.

"I still don't understand why we weren't allowed to decorate the house," said Brigitta. At the age of six, she already had the same serious face and intelligent eyes that defined her features as a ten-year-old. 

"You know Father does not approve of it, Brigitta," Liesl replied softly.

Brigitta looked at her big sister.

"We always used to decorate the hall and the ballroom before," she pointed out.

"Yes. But well… everything changed when Mother died," Liesl explained, with the patient look of someone who had already explained this over and over before. "Father did give you that beautiful book of Fairy Tales, did he not?" she added, trying to cheer her sister up.

Brigitta nodded reluctantly. It was clear that she did not feel that the book she had received made up for what was missing.

"Mother always liked Christmas," said Kurt, not taking his eyes from his hands. 

"Yes, and she would love to sing Christmas carols with us, but you know Father doesn't want us to sing anymore, either," added Friedrich glumly.

Louisa sat with her arms crossed and looked at the opposite wall. Her face was pale and tight.

"It won't ever be the same again. Father will never allow it to be, so why don't you all stop whining?" she said angrily. 

The vehemence with which she spoke cut through Georg like a knife. He walked around the sofa and knelt in front of his second daughter. She was only about nine, and two blond braids framed her face. A face that was angry, but also very sad. 

Georg put his hands on her knees and whispered her name. Of course, she looked straight through him, not knowing he was there. Why had he not seen her hurt before, he wondered. He wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her – but he couldn't, and anyway it would be too late. He was grateful that at least in the present time, he was communicating with his children again. 

The Captain swore inwardly that if he could not undo what had been done, he would at least try to make up for their lost time as much as he could. And he was on the right track, was he not? Giving them a new mother…

A strange, unsettling feeling came over him again, the same feeling that had been bothering him for days. He tried to think of Elsa, tried to picture her as the mother of his children, but the mental picture would not come. When he saw the image of his children in his mind as they had been over the last few months, singing, laughing, playing, the slender shape of their governess was always in the picture with them. Not Elsa. 

He felt that plummeting feeling again, as if something was wrong… slipping away…

His attention was drawn away from his thoughts as he saw all his children jump up from their seats.

Turning around to see what had caused them to stand up, he was startled to see himself walking into the room.

He looked a bit younger, but it was mostly the strict, angry look on his own face that struck Georg.

His younger counterpart spoke.

"Everybody, get your coats, it is time to go to Church." It sounded like a command, and without waiting for any answer from his children, 

the younger Captain turned briskly around and walked into the hall again.

As the children followed him in tense silence, the room started to fade around Georg and through a blur of colour and movement he found himself back in his bedroom again.

"What was that all about?" he asked, turning around. But his bedroom was empty and dark once more. 

The Captain sat down on the edge of his bed. As he looked around, he calmed himself with the assuring reality of the room, the solid wood of the bedpost he was holding, and he attempted to steady his uneven breathing.

The scene he had just witnessed came back to him. The knowledge that he had not been there for his children to help them with the grief of losing their mother was almost unbearable to him. But at the time, he had not had the strength – or had he? He had just pushed all feeling away, ignoring the feelings of his children to protect himself. Instead of helping them, he had caused them more pain, because they had not lost one parent, but two. Again, he was strengthened in his resolve to make up for what had been lost.


	4. Chapter 2

_~ Chapter 2 ~_

When he felt his heartbeat return to normal, Georg started to get under the bedcovers again. But he had not even put his head down on his pillow, when the soft tinkle of bells and a silver light announced the presence of another spirit.

Georg put his hands to his face and breathed deep. The strange events of this night were not over yet. Agathe had predicted the appearance of three spirits, and it seemed that the second one had made an entrance.

The Captain took his hands away from his face and looked around. 

Near his bedroom door, a young man was sitting in a chair. He was not as transparent as Agathe and the Ghost of Christmas Past had been, he seemed more… solid, in a way. He spread a soft light around him, but it did not seem to come from within him. It was like a diffuse light just hung over his head. He was wearing a white suit. The only resemblance to Georg's previous visitor was the wreath of holly he was wearing.

The Captain looked up at him with mixed feelings. The visit of the first spirit had unsettled him very much. Should he be grateful to Agathe for sending him these spirits? How real were the things he was shown, and how real were the spirits?

"What must I do to convince you that I am indeed very real, Captain von Trapp?" asked the spirit, not budging from his comfortable seat.

The Captain cocked his head in surprise. "You can read minds?" he asked.

"Of course," was the simple answer. "My senses operate on a level where speech and sounds are mere choices." 

"Choices," the Captain repeated flatly.

"Yes, Captain. Life is all about choices, is it not?"

What seemed like only a passing remark hung in the air as Georg thought about it. He felt the importance of the words as he pondered their meaning. 

"Agathe sent you here to help me with these choices." It was not a question.

"Very good!" The spirit answered rather sarcastically. 

"And who are you, may I ask?" The Captain replied, his tone equally sarcastic.

"I am, of course, the Ghost of Christmas Present. There is something that you need to see… " 

The Ghost of Christmas Present snapped his fingers, and suddenly, Georg found himself downstairs in the hall of the villa. 

He took a few steps in surprise at the sudden change of location.

The house seemed quiet, and the hall was lit only by two small lamps that were near the stairs. He could just make out the Christmas decorations, though. He recognised the ornaments that Marta and Gretl had made with the help of Maria, and smiled as he recalled how proud his daughters had been when they'd shown him. Georg remembered how the children and Maria had decorated the salon, the hall and the ballroom with Christmas ornaments while he was in town with the Baroness and Max, taking care of arrangements for the Christmas party. Watching them later, seeing how proud they were of their work, which they had done together as a happy family should, his heart had filled with love for all of them. All eight of them… In the back of his mind, the vague realisation surfaced that Maria had been crucial in the change that had come over his family over the last months. 

The thought floated away before Georg could focus on it, as his attention was drawn to the spirit, who had sat down on the bottom step of the staircase. 

Georg looked around once more.

"This is not a vision," he said to the Ghost. "This is just the house, right now, with everybody sleeping. Isn't it?"

The Ghost looked at him, his head cocked.

"Yes, this is the present moment, Captain. But I wonder if everybody's sleeping… don't you?

Georg looked at him in slight surprise. "What do you mean?"

The Ghost smiled mysteriously. "Why don't you find out for yourself, Captain?" he suggested.

Georg took a deep breath. All right, he would find out what was going on in the house. 

He walked into the salon, but found it empty and dark. He crossed the hall, his footsteps echoing in the silence, and quickly peeked into the ballroom. He even walked to the kitchen, but the ground floor of the house was obviously deserted. 

The spirit had not moved from his bottom step, and was looking at Georg's movements with a hint of amusement. 

As Georg silently walked past him to go upstairs, the spirit stood up and followed him.

Georg headed towards the children's bedrooms. He was expecting them to be asleep, so he was surprised to find that a ray of light peeked from under the door of Liesl's room. A muffled whispering could be heard from inside the room. Georg put his hand on the doorknob, but then hesitated.

He turned to face the Ghost.

"Will they see me when I go in?" he asked.

When the Ghost shook his head, the Captain opened the door and stepped inside.

It had been a while since he had been in Liesl's room. She was rather too old to be tucked in at night, after all. 

The room hadn't changed much, Georg absently noted as he looked around. The bed stood near the window, but Liesl was not in it. She was sitting on top of the covers, her legs crossed under her, and flanked by Louisa and Brigitta. Friedrich and Kurt were sitting across from the girls on the ground, their backs to the wall. All were in their night clothes already and they were talking softly, but excitedly.

"I'm sure this Christmas will be better than the last few," whispered Kurt with a big grin. "I've seen the packages in father's room!"

Brigitta looked at him disbelievingly.

"You went in there to look for presents?" She stared at her brother, not sure if she should judge his action, or applaud it.

From across the room, the Captain stared at his youngest son too, a smile tugging on his mouth.

"Well know, I was looking for father. But when he wasn't there, I thought I could check in the closet, just to be sure," Kurt explained with a satisfactory smile. 

The others exchanged glances, and then started to grin as well.

Only Louisa did not laugh, but stared ahead of her deep in thought.

"I wonder what Fraulein Maria will be doing for Christmas," she said as the laughter from her brothers and sisters subsided. 

Liesl turned to her sister and saw her serious look.

"I'm sure she'll have a happy Christmas in the convent, Louisa," she stated softly. 

Louisa shrugged. "She could have been here with us, I'm sure she would like getting presents and singing Christmas carols with us much more than praying all day," she said, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Do they pray all day in the convent?" Kurt asked, pulling a face. "That does not sound like Fraulein Maria!" 

Friedrich gave him a gentle push. "Of course they don't pray all day. I suppose they, eh, go and help the poor or something, for Christmas." He did not sound very convinced as he said it.

"Well anyway, I miss her, and I'll miss her tomorrow even more," said Louisa.

"We all miss her, Louisa," agreed Brigitta, as the others nodded. She went on: 

"I think father misses her, too. But you know what he said: she will not be coming back." 

They all fell silent for a moment, as they considered celebrating Christmas without Maria.

The Captain had been listening intently. He had thought – hoped – his children would have quickly moved on, forgetting about Maria. He had announced his engagement to Elsa to them, it was Christmas, they were getting presents… But apparently, all of that had not taken their thoughts off their governess.

And they seemed to think that he still missed her, too. He wondered where Brigitta would get the idea. She was very observant… 

Suddenly, he remembered the evening of the Christmas party, and how the children had looked on as he had danced with Maria. He had seen her blush, her sparkling eyes, and he had felt how he could not keep his eyes off her. Had it been … that obvious?

As he turned around and walked out of Liesl's room, leaving the children behind, he thought of how it had felt to dance with Maria. He could still feel her in his arms, her hands touching his, smell her fresh scent as she twirled around him… He had forgotten his surroundings for a few minutes and felt more complete than he had in years.

The thought that had escaped him earlier that evening came back to him. Maria had made his family whole again. 

Georg stood outside Liesl's bedroom in the corridor as he focused on the idea.

His family. And him, too. How could he have been so blind? How could something so obvious have passed him by? For a moment forgetting where he was, Georg pondered the realisation. 

Had Maria known how much she had done for his family? For him? And, more importantly, had HE known before? Even when she had just arrived at the house, really before she had any reason to care for his family, she had fought against what she had seen was wrong. Unlike any of the other governesses, she had not given up, but she had stood up to him and made him see the error of his ways. He would always be grateful to her for what she had done.

But was gratitude the same as love? She had left him, and the children. And what about Elsa? 

Georg shook his head in frustration, confused by the visions and events that the spirits had shown to him.

He turned around. Where _was _the spirit?

"I'm here, Captain," a voice behind him whispered. "If you're so confused, why don't you find if there is something more for you to see?" And the spirit slowly began to move toward the guest rooms.

Georg followed him, and looked up to the spirit questioningly as they stopped in front of Elsa's door.

"I can't just walk in on her while she's in bed," Georg protested.

"Captain, you must have noticed that tonight, things are not as you expect them to be," said the spirit, and gestured at the door. The doorknob moved and the door swung open, and still a little hesitantly, Georg walked inside.

Elsa was not in bed. Apparently, her headache must have cleared up, for Georg noticed that she was walking around rather busily for someone with a migraine.

She was walking around the room, opening and closing her closet, picking up things from her dressing table and putting them down again, and she made a nervous impression. She was muttering to herself, but Georg did not understand what she was saying. 

He walked up closer to Elsa, confident that she would not be able to see him.

Her face was pale, and now that he looked closer, he could see she probably had not slept much over the past few nights. He wondered if she was thinking of leaving, but he noticed she was wearing a nightgown and a robe. She would at least be staying for the night, he concluded. However, she did not look as happy as a just-engaged woman should

Deep in thought, Georg turned around to walk back to the door. He was stopped by the Ghost.

"You have seen enough, Captain," he said, and snapped his fingers. Before Georg could say anything, he found himself in his bedroom again.


	5. Chapter 3

_~ Chapter 3 ~_

Georg shook his head in surprise at the sudden change. He walked up to the window and stared outside at the moon, thinking of what he had just witnessed.

The children seemed happy, but they obviously still missed Maria very much. 

Again, the feeling of a certain wrongness crept up on the Captain. 

And Elsa … she was obviously not happy, either.

Agathe had sent these spirits to guide him in his decisions, as she had put it. _They certainly make me think_, he thought, raising his eyebrows at the moon. 

He considered going to bed, but decided against it. He wouldn't be able to sleep, knowing a third spirit would be visiting him. Instead, he sat down on a chair by the window and stared into the darkness of his bedroom, deep in thought.

He must have dozed off, for a soft sound startled him from his sleep.

He snapped his head up and for a moment thought that Gretl and Marta had wandered into his bedroom.

"What are you…" he began, but as his eyes focused on the small shapes, he saw that they were not his daughters.

Two little girls, one blonde, one dark, stood arm in arm in front of him. They had large, sparkling eyes and their long, loose hair and white gowns seemed to billow in a wind which Georg could not feel. These two little girls were also wearing wreaths of holly, convincing Georg that they represented the last of his predicted visitors.

"We are the Ghost of Christmas yet to Come," they whispered, their voices soft, but in perfect unison.

"We will show you what is yet to be. Come with us and learn." 

The girls turned around and walked through the bedroom door, which had inexplicably opened. 

Georg followed them, but as he stepped through the doorframe he did not walk into the corridor outside his bedroom, but through a curtain of bright light which led into the salon – again.

Another Christmas scene unfolded in front of the Captain's eyes. There was a Christmas tree in the salon again, but the children's self-made ornaments were missing. Even though the tree was pretty, it lacked – [I]_personality_,[/I] the Captain thought with a wry smile.

Glancing around, he noticed himself, Elsa, and the children. The atmosphere reminded him rather of the first scene he'd witnessed tonight and he looked closer. The children all looked a little older. This must be next year's Christmas, the Captain thought.

But wait – there were only eight people in the room. Examining the group again, the Captain noticed that Louisa was missing. 

He walked closer, wanting to hear the conversation.

"Why would I want a French dictionary for Christmas?" Kurt whispered to his brother. "It's not even as if I _like_ French… " 

"Well, maybe it's a hint to make you study harder," Friedrich muttered back to him. "At least you got something you didn't have yet. I got a tennis racket, and I already have two." 

"Well maybe that was a hint for you to get better at tennis. You're terrible," Kurt shot back.

The Captain of this future Christmas shot an annoyed look at his two sons. 

"You can show a little gratitude toward your mother. She tried very hard to get nice presents for all of you," he warned. And reaching for the hand of the Baroness, he said, "Didn't you, darling?" He shot a slightly apologetic smile at her.

At the word 'mother', the children all exchanged glum glances.

Georg, looking on, was surprised to hear the word at first. Then, he realised that of course, he was married to the Baroness and the children would call her 'mother'. It did not seem to fit. He looked at himself closer. The Captain in the vision was holding his wife's hand, but instead of the loving, warm look that was supposed to go with true marital bliss, the only thing that was in the eyes of this Captain was worry.

"Well," said the Baroness, getting up and making an effort to produce a smile.

"How about we play a game? It's Christmas after all, we should all be joyful!" 

Liesl tried to be polite and asked the Baroness what game she would like to play, but the boys whispered to each other behind their hands again.

"Joyful?! Some Christmas this is," complained Kurt.

"No wonder Louisa stayed at school for the holiday. I should have listened to her and done the same. Anything would have been better than this, " agreed Friedrich.

Again, the Captain listened in surprise. Boarding school? He had wanted the best education for his children, but he had never considered sending them away from home to a boarding school. 

He looked on for a little while longer, watching as Marta went to fetch a pack of playing cards from the library. When she came back, his future self, the Baroness, Liesl, Marta and Gretl started playing a game he did not know. Apparently, the Baroness didn't know it very well either, because she kept making mistakes and nervously apologizing. The Captain reassured her that it was fine, but he was obviously not feeling at ease with the situation. He kept shooting annoyed looks at Friedrich and Kurt, who'd bluntly refused to play and were sitting in silence on the sofa, and at Brigitta, who had her face hidden in a book and was off in a world of her own.

"This can't be right," the Captain whispered, turning around to look for the two girl spirits.

They were standing right behind him. He looked at them in bewilderment. "This is not right, is it?" he repeated, urgently.

The girls looked at him with those big eyes and nodded with serious faces.

"This is the future of the path you are on. Change your path, and you can change your future," they said, their voices as one.

"So you mean this is just one possible future?" Georg pressed on, staring at the girls. They did not speak, but nodded at him in silence.

The Captain turned back to glance at the scene again. But as he did, he saw that everyone was gone – and he was looking at his own bed in the dark of his bedroom.

A while later, as he lay in bed, he repeated the events of this curious night in his head. His eyes had been opened. The road he was taking was the wrong one. The future he had seen could not make him, or his children, happy.

Again, the memory came back to him of dancing with Maria. He felt a smile form on his lips as he thought of her, and he began to realise what he had failed to acknowledge before: he was in love with Maria, and she with him. But he had seen something else in Maria's eyes that evening. 

She was afraid. Was that why she had left? Maria must have felt that it was not her place to fall in love with a Baron, her employer even, that she betrayed the task she felt had been bestowed upon her by God, and not knowing what else to do, she ran.

The Captain thought about this for a while. Even if he now realised what he wanted, he still was not sure about what Maria wanted. But he had to try. He felt that his happiness, and the completion of his family were in her hands. He had no choice but to ask her to be part of his future, as his wife, the mother to his children. And no matter what her answer would be, he knew there would be no place in his future for Elsa. 

And while he lay thinking about the order in which to take the appropriate actions in the morning, sleep finally came over Captain von Trapp.


	6. Chapter 4

_~ Chapter 4 ~_

When he woke, it was still early in the morning of Christmas Day.

Georg sat up in bed as the memory of the events of the night washed over him. For a moment, he wondered if it really hadn't all been a dream. Thinking about that, he decided that it really did not matter if it had been a dream or not. His eyes had been opened, his decision made, and his heart felt light, as if a weight had been lifted off it.

He quickly got dressed and thought of his first task. Not a pleasant one, but he knew that it was the only thing he could do.

Georg left his bedroom and headed for the guestrooms. As he reached Elsa's room, he raised his hand and was surprised when the door opened before he could knock. 

"Good morning, Georg," Elsa said. "What a coincidence, I was just on my way to you." She tried to smile. "Won't you come in?"

Georg stepped passed her into the room, mumbling a _good morning_ in return.

He heard the door close behind him and turned round to face Elsa. She seemed calm and composed as always, but Georg noticed that her hands were trembling, giving away a hint of nervousness.

"How did you sleep, darling?" Elsa began, obviously looking for a way to start talking.

Georg looked at her and softly shook his head.

"You don't have to do that, Elsa," he said softly.

"We both know it… It's no use, you and I." 

Her expression changed as she lifted her head to look at him.

Georg continued.

"I've been dishonest to both of us, and utterly unfair to you." He tried to measure her reaction, but she remained silent.

"When two people talk of marriage…" his voice wavered slightly, and Elsa quickly spoke, sparing him having to go on.

"Don't say another word Georg, please?" she asked him, her voice light, but her eyes were serious. Georg looked up at her in slight surprise.

"You know, I've been thinking, too. Fond as am of you, I really… don't think you're the right man for me. You're much too…" She hesitated for a moment, searching for the right word. 

"Too independent," she decided, with a hint of a smile, which was met by Georg.

"I need someone who needs me desperately," she continued. "Or at least needs my money desperately," she added with a self-mockery that made her smile, and brought a grin to Georg's face as well.

They shared a look of mutual understanding.

"I've enjoyed every moment we had together," Elsa went on. "I do thank you for that. But if you'll forgive me, yesterday I packed my little bags, and now I'll return to Vienna, where I belong." 

She took his arm and gently led him to the door of her room. 

As he stepped outside, the Captain felt a wave of relief come over him. He had been worried about hurting Elsa's feelings and was enormously relieved to discover that she had been feeling the same way. Of course, after what he had seen last night he could have expected as much, but now that he was sure, he felt better.

He turned to look at Elsa again.

"Franz will be up in a moment to help me with my bags," she told him. 

Then, her face turned more serious, but the slight hint of jealousy in her eyes was quickly pushed away as she said:

"And remember darling, follow the way of your heart. _Auf Wiedersehen_." 

She bent forward to give Georg a quick kiss on the cheek, and then swiftly turned around to close her bedroom door behind her.

Georg stood in the corridor in bewilderment for a second, but then his face broke into a smile. Elsa knew, and in her own way, she had even encouraged him to go and find his true destiny. He could not feel anything but gratitude for her grace and understanding.

His mind went back to her last words.

_Follow the way of your heart…_

Agathe had used the exact same phrase. The coincidence sent shivers down his spine. Or wasn't it coincidence?

Deep in thought, he walked downstairs, and into the dining room to have some breakfast.

As he ate, he heard Franz and the Baroness come down the stairs. The front door opened, and closed, and a car drove away from the house.

Georg remained at the table for a few minutes longer, and then stood up.

He took his coat and hat, and walked to the front door to carry out the second step he had planned for himself.

But when he opened the door, there was someone on the doorstep.

Maria.

They both gasped for breath, neither expecting to see the other. 

As Maria lowered her hand, which had been reaching for the doorbell, she quickly composed herself and smiled a little nervously at the Captain. 

He realized he was staring at her, and tried to think of something to say.

The obvious words came to them at the same time.

"_Frohe Weihnachten_, Fraulein." 

"_Frohe Weihnachten_, Captain." 

They both gave a small chuckle, and the Captain quickly stood aside to let Maria enter the house.

Ten minutes later, they were in the salon. The Captain had made coffee, since he had given the servants most of the day off for Christmas.

They looked at each other a little uneasily as the Captain put his coffee cup on the table and handed the other cup to Maria.

As Maria concentrated on her coffee, the Captain broke the silence.

"You left without saying goodbye. Even to the children," he stated, questioningly.

"That was wrong of me," Maria answered, apologetically. "Forgive me." 

The Captain smiled at her. Of course she was forgiven.

"Why did you?"

Maria looked down at her coffee as she tried to formulate an answer.

"I was… frightened." Her voice trembled a little, but she bravely looked up, relieved that she had told him the truth.

The Captain looked at her honest face and knew that he had been right. She had become aware of her feelings – and they had scared her away. 

"But you came back," he stated softly, looking into her eyes.

She nodded, returning his gaze.

"I felt... I could not let Christmas go by without seeing all of you," she said, feeling more confident now. 

"I wanted to say a proper goodbye. I thought I might accompany you, and the children and the Baroness to Church." 

She looked away as she mentioned the Baroness and put her coffee down on the table, trying to hide the fact that she could not look Georg in the eyes.

The Captain moved closer to her and brought his hand up to her cheek, gently turning her head so that he could look into her eyes again.

"Maria… there isn't going to be any Baroness," he told her.

"There isn't?" she asked, not understanding. "But I assumed that you'd…" 

Her voice trailed off.

"It was never meant to be," Georg told her, still looking at her closely. Was he wrong, or was there a glimmer of hope in her eyes? There was, he decided. She had come back, aware of her feelings, and now, she was slowly becoming aware of his.

He shook his head.

"No… You see… You can't marry someone when you're in love with someone else, can you?" 

And as she shook her head, almost not believing what she had heard, he moved closer to her. He stroked her cheek with his hand, en turned her chin up to meet him. Softly, very softly he kissed her lips.

He felt her breathe out in a wave of relief and lean in to answer his kiss. Her lips were soft under his own and he deepened the kiss, pulling her closer to him and savouring her presence.

After a moment they broke apart. They looked into each other's eyes and a wide smile formed on Maria's face.

"The Reverend Mother always says: _When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window_," she said through her smile. 

The Captain chuckled and stroked her neck.

"What else does the Reverend Mother say?" he asked, his voice light.

"That you have to look for your life," Maria answered, more serious.

"Is that why you came back?" Georg asked, understanding dawning on him.

She nodded. 

"And have you found it… Maria?" He looked at her questioningly, knowing the answer, but needing her confirmation.

She looked at him with large eyes and nodded again.

"I think I have." And then she corrected herself, more confidently: "I know I have." 

The complete peace and happiness in her eyes left no doubt that Maria had found the life she was born to live. 

For a second, Georg thought of Agathe and sent a grateful prayer to her. She had truly guided him to his destiny. He looked at Maria and was overcome with a feeling of completion for the first time in years.

"I love you," Georg told her completely serious, before he pulled her to him again.

They kissed again, and as he held her in his arms, kissing her lips and feeling her soft body against his, the Captain felt completely at peace. He knew that he had found his future, his true path in life, and he held Maria even tighter. From the way Maria relaxed in his arms, moaning softly as his lips met hers, Georg knew that she was completely happy and content. 

He broke the kiss for a moment and smiled as he saw Maria look up to him, somewhat disappointed as she felt him draw back. 

"Maria," he began, "is there anyone I should go to, to ask permission to marry you?"

Her look changed to one of complete joy as she answered: "Why don't we ask –"

– "the Children?" they finished together, breaking into a wide smile before they let themselves be lost in each other's arms once more.


	7. Epilogue

~ Epilogue ~ 

When the children stumbled down, excitedly chattering amongst each other about what gifts they would find under the Christmas tree, they fell silent for a moment when they piled into the salon.

In disbelief, they stared at their governess, who was sitting next to their father on the sofa.

Within seconds they realised she was really there, and their faces split into wide grins as they attacked her with hugs and kisses.

"Fraulein Maria, you're back!" exclaimed Gretl, radiating joy, as she put her little arms around Maria's waist and hugged her close.

The others loudly stated their happiness at Maria's return in agreement with their youngest sister.

Maria knelt down to hug Gretl back.

"I'm happy to be back with all of you too, darlings," she stated, shooting a quick glance up at Georg.

"Fraulein Maria, have you come back to be our governess forever?" asked Marta with a happy smile on her face.

"Well," Maria said, hesitating a little and standing up to look at Georg for help.

He moved toward her, sliding his arm around her and pulling her close.

"No…" the Captain began, and laughed when he saw the faces of each of his children drop in disappointment.

"No… Maria will not be your governess anymore." 

Seven voices cried out in protest.

"If you agree, she will be your new Mother." 

Georg exchanged a glance with Maria, who smiled at him, while the children looked on, for a second struck dumb with this announcement.

"Well?" Maria asked, looking at them encouragingly. 

That was all they needed, and again, the children rushed to their governess, this time also including their father in their hugs, kisses and embraces.

As the children calmed down a bit, Georg pointed at the Christmas tree, under which a whole assortment of packages lay waiting to be unwrapped.

"Don't you want to open your gifts?" he asked, an amused smile on his lips. Nothing had ever before been able to make the children forget about their presents on Christmas morning.

But Liesl answered for all of them.

"I think we've already been given the best Christmas gift ever," she stated, beaming at Maria and her father, who were still standing close to each other "Thank you so much!"

And as the other children nodded in agreement, Gretl said:

"And Merry Christmas, every one!"


End file.
